USS HOLLAND (AS-3) (ARG-18)
SHIP'S HISTORY
Researched by: Robert Loys Sminkey
Commander, United States Navy, Retired
Three ships in the United States Navy were named for John Philip Holland, the man who developed the first true submarine accepted by the United States Navy (spending 57 of his 74 years working with submersibles). Those ships were USS Holland (SS-1), the Navy's first submarine; USS Holland (AS-3), the third ship in the Navy designated as a submarine tender (AS), and USS Holland (AS-32), one of the submarine tenders designed to tend units of the Polaris fleet ballistic missile submarine fleet. This write-up is the ship's history of USS Holland (AS-3)
John Philip Holland was born in Liscanor, County Clare, Ireland, on 29 February 1840. As a youth, he considered the use of the submarine to further the cause of Irish Independence. Holland came to the United States in 1873. In 1875, his first submarine designs were submitted for consideration by the United States Navy, but turned down as unworkable.
Holland continued to improve his designs and worked on several experimental boats prior to his successful efforts with the privately built "Holland" launched in 1898 at the Crescent Shipyards in Elizabethport, New Jersey. This was the first submarine having power to run submerged for any considerable distance. "Holland" was purchased by the Navy after rigorous tests, in 1900, and six more of her type were ordered.
On 12 August 1914, John Philip Holland died in Newark, New Jersey.
USS Holland (AS-3) was authorized to be built on 4 March 1917 in conjunction with the Congressional Act of 29 August 1916. The keel was laid down on 11 April 1921 at the Puget Sound Navy Yard at Bremerton, Washington State. The ship was christened by Miss Elizabeth Saunders Chase, the daughter of Admiral J. V. Chase, and launched on 12 April 1926. The submarine tender was commissioned on 1 June 1926 with Commander John B. Earle in command.
When commissioned, USS Holland (AS-3) was 483 feet 10 inches in length overall and had an extreme beam of 61 feet 1 inch. Standard displacement was 8,100 tons with a mean draft of 16 feet 9 inches. Her normal tonnage was 11,570 tons with a mean draft of 22 feet 9 inches.
The submarine tender had accommodations for 23 officers and 365 enlisted men. Armament included eight 5-inch/51 caliber and four 3-inch/50 caliber guns. Steam for the main propulsion Parsons geared turbine engines was provided by Thornycraft boilers. One propeller on a shaft with 7,000 designed horsepower could drive the ship at 16 knots at speed.
USS Holland (AS-3) arrived in San Francisco, California, from the Puget Sound Navy Yard on 24 April 1927 to become the flagship of Captain J. T. Thompkins ... who was commander of the submarine divisions of the battle fleet.
On 24 September 1927, the submarine tender was permanently assigned to the base at San Diego, California ... tending submarine divisions there, with periodic tours to Panama to service submarines based in the Canal Zone.
On 5 November 1930, USS Holland became the flagship of Captain Chester W. Nimitz, Commander Submarine Divisions, Battle Fleet...with additional duty as Commander, Submarine Division 20. The former command was abolished as of 1 April 1931 and Captain Nimitz retained his flag in USS Holland as commander of his submarine division...now designated Submarine Division 12. Captain Nimitz left USS Holland on 17 June 1931, relieved by Captain W. L. Friedell. Later, during the Second World War, Fleet Admiral Nimitz, as Commander of the United States Pacific Fleet, had a major role in defeating the Japanese in the Pacific Ocean areas.
In addition to being the flagship of Submarine Division 12, USS Holland temporarily served as the Submarine Force flagship...from March to July of 1933.
In June of 1935, USS Holland became the joint flagship of Submarine Squadron 6 and Submarine Division 12.
In 1939, USS Holland tended units of the Submarine Force, United States Fleet, at San Diego, California. The submarines comprised Submarine Squadron 6 (Submarine Divisions 14 and 15). Boats tended were:
Submarine Division 14
USS Perch (P-5) (SS-176)
USS Pickerel (P-6) (SS-177)
USS Permit (P-7) (SS-178)
USS Plunger (P-8) (SS-179)
USS Pollack (P-9) (SS-180)
USS Pompano (P-10) (SS-181)
Submarine Division 15
USS Salmon (S-1) (SS-182)
USS Seal (S-2) (SS-183)
USS Skipjack (S-3) (SS-184)
USS Snapper (S-4) (SS-185)
USS Stingray (S-5) (SS-186)
USS Sturgeon (S-6) (SS-187)
In June of 1941, USS Holland became flagship of Submarine Squadron 2.
On 22 November 1941, USS Holland arrived at the Cavite Naval Base in the Philippine Islands to service the submarines of the United States Asiatic Fleet.
Due to Japanese air raids in early December of 1941, which plunged the United States into the Second World War as an active participant, USS Holland was hurried out of Manila Bay under cover of night with her vital cargo of repair and replacement parts for the submarines of the United States Asiatic Fleet. Heading south, the submarine tender escaped unscathed from two air raids while at Balikpapan, Borneo; then repaired a battle-damaged submarine at Soerabaja, Java...where she was joined by two destroyers that gave her escort to Port Darwin, Australia, which she reached on 2 January 1942; then commenced round-the-clock operations which included the building of docks and floats as well as the constant repair and equipping of ships as well as submarines.
On 3 February 1942, USS Holland was underway for Tjilaljap, Java, to remove Rear Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, Junior, and his United States Asiatic Fleet Submarine Force staff to Australia. The submarine tender's outstanding service to the Fleet during the first crucial months of World War Two (for the United States) brought USS Holland a Navy Unit Commendation.
While based in Australia, USS Holland serviced and overhauled several submarines before returning for overhaul at the Mare Island Navy Yard at Vallejo, California, in late February of 1943. The submarine tender reached Pearl Harbor in the Territory of Hawaii from the west coast of the United States in June of 1943 and completed 22 refits and 13 repair jobs for submarines within the next 11 months.
USS Holland shifted to Midway Atoll on 1 June 1944 and transited the following month directly to support submarines in the Marianas Islands.
USS Holland returned to Pearl Harbor late in November of 1944 to be fitted out as headquarters ship for Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, Junior, Commander Submarine Force, United States Pacific Fleet.
In January of 1945, USS Holland steamed out of Pearl Harbor for Guam...where Vice Admiral Lockwood was embarked.
By the close of Second World War hostilities (2 September 1945), USS Holland had given 55 instances of refit to submarines, provided repair and service to 20 surface craft, and completed various jobs on shore installations.
Vice Admiral Lockwood shifted his Submarine Force flag ashore to his new headquarters on Coconut Island in Apra Harbor, Guam, at the conclusion of the Second World War, setting up operations and communications for the work ahead. This left USS Holland (AS-3) ready to begin a new career as a repair ship. Accordingly, her designation was changed to "ARG-18" (Internal Combustion Engine Repair Ship-18) during September of 1945. Her value to the submarine force had diminished with the commissioning of many new and modern submarine tenders during the Second World War that were better equipped to carry on the job of keeping our submarines in top-notch condition to execute any assigned mission. With a few alterations, USS Holland (ARG-18) headed for Buckner Bay, Okinawa, where she embarked Rear Admiral Allen E. Smith, Commander, Service Squadron 10, and his staff, before proceeding for Tokyo Bay, Japan...where she dropped anchor on 29 September 1945.
USS Holland set course on 6 June 1946, by way of Pearl Harbor, for San Diego...where she arrived on 28 June 1946. The repair ship shifted to San Pedro, California, for inactivation overhaul in the Terminal Island Navy Yard...then was towed to San Diego where she was decommissioned on 21 March 1947. Then, the repair ship was assigned to the San Diego, California, Group of the Pacific Reserve Fleet until her name was struck from the Navy List on 18 June 1952.
The repair ship was sold for scrapping on 3 October 1953 to the Bethlehem Steel Company.
USS Holland (AS-3) earned two battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation for her services during the Second World War.
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